A fallen power cable caused a wildfire in the US state of Washington. Electrical power company engineers attending the incident believed that the other end of the power cable was also disconnected at the top of a pylon and so posed no danger to firefighters on the ground. However, the power cable was still live at 7.2kV and when a volunteer firefighter used a portable fire extinguisher on the fire he received an electric shock. Fortunately the firefighter was unharmed. For the full news story, see the Tri-City Herald report.

Research by the International Atomic Energy Authority (IAEA) published in December 2013 showed that 80% of significant events at nuclear power plants can be attributed to human error, while only 20% can be attributed to equipment failure. For many years the belief has been that human error is an individual-focused phenomenon or motivational issue. However, it has recently been identified that approximately 70% of these errors are down to weaknesses in organisational processes and cultural values. These organisational deficiencies are often hidden in management processes, structures and values and can create workplace conditions that lead to a human error or reduce the effectiveness of risk control barriers. The full report can be viewed here.